So why do we see treadmill running as inferior? Aside from the obvious benefit of outdoor ambience — fresh air, trees, a general sense of being one with/conquering nature — is there any benefit to running outdoors instead of running on the human equivalent of a hamster wheel?

On the one hand, with a treadmill, the belt is moving under you and there is no wind resistance for your body to counter, so yes, it is in fact easier than running outdoors. The difference isn’t that great, though: Research suggests that simply setting the treadmill to a 1 percent incline accurately simulates the energy costs of outdoor running. Corroborating research has shown that VO2 max — the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in and actually utilize at maximum exertion, which directly affects your aerobic endurance level — is the same when running on a treadmill as running outside.

The treadmill can also be worse for you psychologically. When you’re doing a tough run outside, you can “feel” the finish line getting closer and have a more natural sense of the distance remaining. When you’re on a treadmill, your mind can’t visualize the finish line as well. This means that when the pace gets tough, you may find it harder to push yourself that extra bit required to get the race run.

All of this may be a secondary consideration if you’re hoping to avoid injury by running on a treadmill. But research also suggests that injury biomechanics are the same for running on a treadmill and running outside outside. So if you’re worried that you’re more likely to screw up your knees by running outdoors, rest assured, the science says otherwise (just watch out for potholes and other potential obstacles).

So for all you weekend warriors who insist that there’s no replacement for real-world terrain or that “Outdoor running is the only running!”, it turns out that, okay, you do win this argument. But only by a nose.